In the spring of the forty-sixth year of Yongchang, the weather was as bright as every other year, and under the peaceful rule, everything looked calm and prosperous. Cedric Hart was the magistrate of Wutong County. His rank was not high and his salary was modest, but daily life in the Hart household was still steady and unhurried. Ten months earlier, his lady had conceived, and now the time for delivery had come.
People often said spring rain was as precious as oil, yet it chose this very day to fall. Madam Hart woke from her sleep with a sharp, twisting pain in her belly. She immediately ordered the servants to fetch the midwife. Though it was her first child, the labor went surprisingly smoothly.
The midwife wrapped the newborn and respectfully presented the bundle to Cedric. “Congratulations, My Lord, you have been blessed with a young lady!”
Cedric instantly lit up with delight. He took the swaddled infant carefully into his arms, studying her tiny face, reluctant to let go. Her features were still a bit wrinkled and crumpled, yet he could already faintly see his own and his wife’s likeness each taking half.
Holding his little daughter, Cedric sat down at his wife’s bedside. “Look at her. This little girl looks so much like you. She’s sure to grow into a great beauty.”
Madam Hart’s face was still pale from the exertion, but joy softened her tired features. She gazed tenderly at her child, eyes full of reluctant fascination, and only after a long while did she say, “My Lord, just now I had a dream.”
“Was it a good dream or a bad one?” Cedric asked, curiosity clear in his voice.Lady Hart hesitated for a moment. “This… I truly cannot say it clearly. I only dreamed that a golden bird was circling above our house. Many people were standing outside, all looking up at it. After quite a while, it suddenly spread its wings and rushed straight into my room. I woke with a start, and the moment I opened my eyes, the pain in my belly just wouldn’t stop.”
Cedric Hart pondered for a long while. “A golden bird… could it be a phoenix? Does it mean our daughter is a phoenix reborn into this world?”
“Shh…” Lady Hart quickly cut him off. “We are just common folk. Best not talk about such things. Just treat it as nothing more than a dream. More important than that, my lord, shouldn’t you think of a name for our daughter first?”
Cedric Hart nodded. “Since this child came with a dream, why not call her Isabella? What do you think?”
“Isabella… it sounds lovely.” Lady Hart lowered her eyes, smiling as she looked at the baby in swaddling clothes, who was making soft little sounds. “Isabella, from now on, this shall be your name.”
Under the care and affection of her parents, Isabella grew up quickly. By the time she reached fifteen, she was already known around the area as a beauty. Matchmakers came to the door one after another with marriage proposals, but Cedric Hart did not wish to push her into any match, so he turned them all down, one by one.
Later, she had a younger brother and a younger sister. Her brother was named Lucas, two years younger than she, and her sister was named Amelia, five years her junior.
Though Isabella was dearly cherished, she never became spoiled or arrogant. Instead, she was gentle and considerate, lived simply and quietly, loved reading poetry and books, and could play the qin with remarkable skill.That day, the Prefect of Lingzhou was hosting a banquet at his residence. His rank was much higher than Cedric Hart’s, yet the two had once been fellow students from the same hometown, so Cedric was naturally on the guest list. The prefect even sent word in advance, specifically asking him to bring his daughter, Isabella Hart, along.
It was Isabella’s first time stepping into the prefect’s estate, and also her first time seeing such lavish splendor. The painted beams, carved railings, and endless courtyards made her secretly gasp in her heart, but on the surface she stayed perfectly composed. Her back was straight, her steps steady, and her expression calm as water. Whenever she met a guest, she stopped to bow properly, her manners meticulous and without the slightest trace of panic.
The prefect’s eyes lit up when he saw her. He studied her for a moment, then laughed in surprise. “So you’re Cedric’s daughter? You’ve grown so much. What a beauty you’ve become—enough to put flowers and the moon to shame.”
Isabella’s cheeks flushed at his words. She lowered her gaze, her long lashes trembling faintly. “Isabella pays her respects to My Lord Prefect,” she said softly. “My lord flatters me. I dare not accept such praise.”
Cedric chuckled, his tone half teasing, half curious. “You went out of your way to have me bring her here today. May I ask what, exactly, you have in mind?”
The prefect leaned a bit closer to him and answered frankly, “To tell you the truth, I invited Isabella today because I’d like her to play a piece before the general. You know how His Excellency the General is—he’s always fond of elegant pursuits, but I myself don’t understand much about music and such.” He turned to glance at Isabella again, his smile carrying a hint of expectation. “I’ve long heard that your young lady’s skill with the zither has already reached perfection, far beyond the court musicians in the palace. If she could grace us with a tune, it would be just the thing to please the general.”